Paden City school will remain open during appeals process, court says

The West Virginia Supreme Court ruled Monday that Paden City High School will remain open as Wetzel County's superintendent appeals a lower court’s decision that it remain open. (Google Maps screenshot)

Paden City High School students will report to their school next week after the state Supreme Court said Monday it will remain open as Wetzel school superintendent Cassie Porter appeals a lower court’s decision that it remain open.

The court denied Porter’s motion to stay Circuit Judge Richard Wilson’s order.

Porter had decided the school would close and its students would attend other area schools because of environmental concerns at the facility.

The school site is located near a former dry cleaning business. It has soil and groundwater plumes contaminated with tetrachloroethylene, a likely carcinogen used for dry cleaning fabrics, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. An EPA site inspection that began in 2020 determined that the site poses a risk and would require long-term clean up. It was added to the National Priorities List in March 2022.

Wilson ruled in favor of school faculty, staff, parents and community members who challenged the closure, saying that Porter was not justified in shuttering the school over environmental concerns and that it should remain open.

Porter’s appeal of Wilson’s decision is still pending before the high court.

Aug. 19 is the first day of school for Wetzel County.

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